20 reasons why air travel is so stressful

2. Getting to the airport

From the very start, your patience will be tested. For those with young
children, there's additional packing, extra passports to carry and restless
minds to occupy. For everybody else, there is a slow crawl along Britain's
overloaded motorways, and - with regional airports losing routes as airlines
seek to cut costs - we are being forced to travel greater distances.

You could opt to travel by train, which is usually a far more serene
experience, but the rising cost of rail fares will soon sour your mood. A
return ticket from London Paddington to Heathrow on the Heathrow Express
will set you back £32. That's more than £1 a minute. The Gatwick Express
from London Victoria, at £28.80, is little better.